Terrorism
Iraq targets ISIS sleeper cells during intensive campaign
Iraqi forces killed 'scores' of ISIS elements during operations targeting the group's sleeper cells, safe houses and hideouts in several provinces.
![An Iraqi soldier is seen during the siege of an ISIS hideout in a photo posted June 21. [Security Media Cell]](/gc1/images/2024/07/06/46961-isis-seige-Iraq-600_384.webp)
By Anas al-Bar |
A series of recent operations and air strikes targeting "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) hideouts and safe houses in Iraq and Syria have dealt a "painful blow" to the group's sleeper cells, military sources said.
Iraqi F-16 fighter jets struck an ISIS den in the Hamreen hills of Diyala province on June 23, killing three ISIS elements and destroying safe houses and caves used by the extremist group.
On June 22, Iraqi aircraft hit a tunnel used by ISIS and several of its hideouts in eastern Salaheddine province, killing seven of the group's fighters.
Iraq's Counter-Terrorism Service destroyed eight caves and safe houses in the Makhmour mountains and near lower Zab river in Kirkuk province on June 21.
Two air strikes in al-Shai and Umm al-Khanajer valleys in Kirkuk, carried out June 20, destroyed caves and tunnels and killed three "terrorists," sources said.
The recent operations "successfully achieved their objectives," Security Media Cell head Maj. Gen. Tahseen al-Khafaji told Al-Fassel.
"Heavily concentrated air strikes were carried out based on information and an outstanding effort by the military intelligence agency in tracking down terrorist cells and their hideouts," he said.
"ISIS remnants cannot remain safe even in the most complex terrain. They are under constant surveillance and are in our range of fire," he added.
ISIS sleeper cells
On June 20, police set up ambushes and patrols to apprehend ISIS cells in the Diyala villages of Bishkan, Hawi Kabiba and Hawi al-Kalaa near al-Azim river.
The same day, Salaheddine police apprehended a three-member sleeper cell in al-Qadisiyah district of Tikrit.
So far this year, there have been about 6,000 security operations, terror group analyst Fadel Abu Ragheef told Al-Fassel.
"Many ISIS elements and sleeper cells were apprehended and their hideouts and weapon and ammunition caches destroyed," he said.
"The advances made in intelligence work have provided the security forces with highly accurate details about the terrorists, which enabled them to hunt them down in any place they think is hard to find," he added.
With international coalition support, the Iraqi Security Service cornered and killed an ISIS leader in the vicinity of Busayrah in Syria's Deir Ezzor province who had taken part in several terrorist acts inside Iraq, the service said June 11.
"Kh.S.S." aka "Abu Zeinab" was in charge of the Abra Detachment, which transports weapons and explosives across the border with Syria, it said.
US Central Command on June 19 said a senior ISIS official known as Osama Jamal Mohammed Ibrahim al-Janabi had been killed in an air strike in Syria.
When you read the article you know who is the criminal and who carried out the attack and what caused the attack. The criminal who carried out the attack is the US soldiers and the attack was on the Iraqi resistance forces, who are launching attacks on the Zionist entity. May God grant victory to the resistance in every place because it defends truth against falsehood. You are false, criminals, occupiers of the land of Iraq, and plunderers of Iraq’s oil, just like you've plundered Syria, Libya, Yemen and other countries. May God save us from you. You are a big insatiable snake. I wish you death and defeat.